Underage Drinking

Guide No. 27 (2006)

The Problem of Underage Drinking

This guide begins by describing the problem of underage drinking† , and reviewing factors that contribute to it. It then identifies a series of questions to help you analyze your local underage drinking problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is known about them from evaluative research and police practice.

† There are many labels used to describe underage drinking and its negative consequences. These include “binge drinking,” “high-risk drinking,” “heaving drinking,” and “risky drinking,” among others. Controversy about proper terminology comes from disagreement about how to quantify the amount of alcohol consumed and the time period in which it is consumed, and to what extent these measurements account for physical characteristics of the drinker (e.g., weight, gender) that are related to the effects of alcohol.

Young people use alcohol more than any other drug, including tobacco.1 Underage drinking­­—that is, drinking under the age of 21—is prohibited throughout the United States. Despite a historical lack of vigorous enforcement, minimum-drinking-age laws have been very effective in reducing many of the harms associated with underage drinking,2 such as traffic fatalities and alcohol-related injuries, as well as assaults and other crimes. There is significant potential for further harm reduction if additional strategies targeting the factors underlying the problem are implemented.†

† There are several national efforts to combat the problem: see the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s “ Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws” program (www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/compendium/2001/contents.html), [PDF] the Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation website (www.udetc.org), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s “ A Matter of Degree” program designed to discourage drinking on college campuses(www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3558.html).

Virtually all high school students and most college students are under 21. However, most drink alcohol at least occasionally, and many drink frequently and heavily.† They can get alcohol for free or at low prices, which contributes to their drinking at levels that significantly increase their risk of negative alcohol-related consequences.3 The proportion of underage youth who drink has not changed significantly over the past decade in the United States.4 Indeed, if anything, they are starting to drink at a younger age, and their drinking patterns are becoming more extreme.5

† Recent surveys of U.S. high school and college students showed that one-half to three-quarters of high school students had tried alcohol (Johnston, O’Malley, and Bachman 2002) [Full text] and two out of every three underage college students surveyed had drunk alcohol in the past 30 days (Wechsler 2001). [Full text]

Underage drinkers experience a wide range of alcohol-related health, social, criminal justice, and academic problems. They do not all experience the same level of problems—those who drink more, and drink more often, suffer a greater number of negative consequences. However, negative consequences occur across a wide range of consumption levels and frequencies.

Young drinkers report a range of negative effects from alcohol, all of which can lead to troubled interactions with others, particularly police officers or other responsible adults who try to intervene.6 These include the following:

Overconfidence and recklessness . Excessive drinking may cause people to act in ways they would normally consider unwise or inappropriate.

Lack of awareness . As people become intoxicated, they may not be fully aware of what is happening, and may not be able to figure out how to react to situations appropriately.

Aggression . Drinkers may misread cues from other people as being offensive, and react violently.

Loss of control . Drinkers’ motor skills may become impaired, and drinkers may also lose control of their emotions.

These effects often lead young drinkers to come into contact with police, either as offenders or as victims. Youths who drink heavily are more likely to carry handguns than those who do not drink.7 Alcohol use contributes to property damage, rape, and other violent crime on college campuses,8 and about half of college crime victims have been drinking before the crime occurs.9 A significant proportion of young drivers killed in car accidents are intoxicated when the crash occurs.10

Despite widespread use, relatively few underage drinkers experience any legal or school-based consequences for their behavior. Credit: David Corbett]

Further, underage college students who drink heavily are more likely to miss class, fall behind in school, sustain an injury, have unplanned or unprotected sex, drive after drinking, or have contact with campus police.† ,11 Students also experience “secondhand” effects of others’ alcohol misuse, such as having their sleep or study time interrupted; having to take care of an intoxicated friend; being insulted or humiliated by drinkers; receiving unwanted sexual advances; getting in serious arguments; having their personal property damaged; being assaulted, sexually or otherwise; and being raped by an acquaintance.12 There are also a number of physical and mental health-related consequences of alcohol use, which are detailed elsewhere.††

† While a number of studies reveal a correlation between alcohol consumption and negative or high-risk behavior (e.g., violent behavior, unprotected sexual activity), this relationship does not necessarily mean that alcohol causes these behaviors. Instead, there may be situational or personality factors underlying both the drinking and the high-risk behavior. For more information, see Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990).

†† For example, see National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2000) [Full text], and Institute of Alcohol Studies (2003). [Full text]

Very few college students experience any college-based disciplinary action as a result of their drinking, despite widespread use and serious consequences for the individuals, their peers, and their communities.13 The past decade has witnessed increased concern about and creativity in confronting the issue, and both adults and youths support measures to prevent underage drinking. Given the issue’s complexity, it is important to understand how the problem takes shape in your community. Analyzing the factors that contribute to your local underage drinking problem will help you to select the most effective responses.

Related Problems

Underage drinking is associated with a number of other problems not directly addressed in this guide, but many are covered in other guides in this series. These related problems require their own analyses and responses:

Factors Contributing to Underage Drinking

Understanding the factors that contribute to your problem will help you frame your own local analysis questions, determine good effectiveness measures, recognize key intervention points, and select appropriate responses.

Why Underage People Drink

Some researchers have found that drinking, particularly among underage college students, “is often so routine that people find it difficult to explain why they do it.”14 However, there are several common themes that appear to underlie underage drinking. Many see drinking as a “rite of passage,” or a fundamental part of adolescence and college life. Young people develop beliefs about the acceptability of underage drinking from their peers, parents, and other agents of informal social control.15 Many young people believe that drinking will make it easier to be part of a group, reduce tension, relieve stress, help them to forget their worries, increase their sexual attractiveness, or make them more socially confident.16 People who attribute such benefits to alcohol are more likely to drink than people who believe drinking has more negative consequences (e.g., loss of control, legal troubles, health problems).17

Young people often go out intending to get drunk, and may try to intensify their drunkenness by drinking a lot very quickly or drinking especially strong liquor. However, many young people unintentionally get drunk when they misjudge their limits.18

Many young people do not drink at all, or drink at minimal levels. Their decision not to drink or to drink in moderation appears to result from a combination of factors:19

Attachment. Young people with strong ties to family, friends, and significant others tend to drink less. They have close emotional ties with others, and care about others’ expectations and opinions regarding their behavior.

Commitment. Young people who invest significant amounts of time, energy, and resources in conventional activities such as studying, working, taking part in organized religion, and/or participating in clubs or athletics tend to drink less than students who are not so invested, perhaps because they have less time available for alcohol-focused activities.

Belief. Young people who accept conventional values, obey society’s rules, and respect authority tend to drink less than those who do not.

In addition, much research suggests that young people—college students in particular—drink because they assume everyone else does.20 Students consistently overestimate the amount that other students drink and the proportion of their fellow students who are heavy drinkers.21 Given that adolescents and young adults are susceptible to peer pressure and want to conform, it is likely that their perceptions of others’ alcohol use influence their own drinking, whether or not their perceptions are correct.

Environmental Reasons for Underage Drinking

Underage drinking occurs in an environment saturated by alcohol advertising on television, on billboards, at sporting and music events, and in national and local newspapers. The alcohol industry spends far more to promote its products than is spent on public messages encouraging responsible drinking.22 This media saturation may promote, facilitate, and perpetuate heavy drinking among young people. In addition, many products (e.g., alcopops, wine coolers) have hip, colorful, youth-oriented packaging and are likely to appeal mainly to young people.

In addition, young people, particularly those in college, are surrounded by outlets (e.g., grocery and convenience stores) that sell alcohol to be consumed elsewhere, or “off premises,” as well as “on-premises” outlets such as bars and restaurants. High concentrations of alcohol outlets are associated with higher rates of heavy drinking and drinking-related problems among college students.23

Drink specials encourage heavy drinking among all customers, some of whom may be underage. Credit: David Corbett

Alcohol outlets and advertisers team up to provide an additional incentive for underage drinking: price promotions and drink specials. In general, lower prices result in higher consumption levels across all age levels.24 Price promotions offer discounts for high-volume purchases, such as kegs and cases of beer. College campuses near retailers that sell large volumes of low-price alcohol have higher rates of binge drinking than those campuses near outlets that do not sell discount alcohol.25 Many bars and restaurants have discount prices (e.g., during happy hour) and drink specials (e.g., two for one, ladies drink free) that encourage heavy drinking among all customers, some of whom may be underage.

Many high school and college students say that they attend parties or go out drinking because “there is nothing else to do.” Like older adults, adolescents and young adults enjoy socializing and need a variety of avenues to interact with peers, make new friends, and pursue romantic relationships. In the absence of alcohol-free places to socialize, young people go to parties where alcohol is present, and may succumb to peer pressure to drink.

How Underage Drinkers Obtain Alcohol

Underage drinkers obtain alcohol from two main sources: third parties, such as legal-age friends, siblings, and strangers; and commercial outlets, such as stores, bars, and restaurants (often by using a fake ID).26

Home is the primary source of alcohol among the youngest drinkers.27 Some youth take alcohol from their parents’ liquor cabinets without their parents’ knowledge. Some parents supply their underage children with alcohol at special events such as graduations, weddings, or holiday parties.

Underage drinkers sometimes ask strangers to buy alcohol for them, often in exchange for a fee or a portion of the alcohol purchased. This practice is called “shoulder tapping”—underage youth wait outside a store and tap a stranger on the shoulder to make the request.28

Most underage drinkers report it is “very easy” to obtain alcohol; about one in four underage college students report that they can buy alcohol without age verification, or with a fake ID.29 Studies of alcohol purchases across the country reveal that, depending on the location and the environmental context, 40 to 90 percent of retail outlets have sold alcohol to underage buyers.30

In some cases, retailers do not ask for ID. In others, underage drinkers present an ID card that has been altered to indicate they are of legal drinking age, or an ID card that belongs to someone who is of legal drinking age. The underage drinker may resemble the person in the photograph, or may substitute his or her own picture and relaminate the card. People can purchase fake IDs on the Internet, buy them directly from counterfeiters, or use fraudulent documents to get a driver’s license. Recent advancements in technology have made the counterfeiting of state-issued ID cards easier, using a scanner and a color printer.31 Use of fake IDs is more common in urban areas and in states without consistent enforcement of underage purchase laws.32 Furthermore, young people are more likely to obtain and use a fake ID if they think their peers support the practice.33

Where Underage Drinking Occurs

Underage people drink at a variety of locations, including the following:

Parties in private residences. Large numbers of young people may gather in a home, often while the parents are away, or in a college student’s off-campus residence. Parties in residential areas often generate complaints from neighbors who are disturbed by noise, improper parking, property damage, and littering. Such parties are of particular concern to police because they often include large numbers of underage drinkers and large quantities of alcohol. If the hosts charge an entry fee, they are essentially selling alcohol without a license, often to guests who are not of legal drinking age. House parties are popular among both high school and college students, as well as underage nonstudents. College students who live off campus are more likely to attend house parties than those who live on campus, and underage drinkers are more likely to gain access to alcohol at house parties than in bars or restaurants.34

Parties at outdoor venues such as beaches, parks, fields, or parking lots. The remoteness of these locations may reduce the chances that residents will be bothered, but also usually means that partygoers will have to drive home after drinking. These parties, like those in private residences, rarely provide nonalcoholic beverages or food to mitigate alcohol’s intoxicating effects.

College campuses. Many colleges and universities have on-campus bars and pubs, and social and athletic events at which alcohol sales are permitted. Of particular note is the high rate of underage and binge drinking that occurs at fraternity houses. Over the years, fraternity membership has become closely associated with heavy drinking, as part of social events, pledging, and initiations.35 Most students who join fraternities expect that alcohol will be central to their experience, despite the fact that most are underage.36 The high levels of drinking associated with fraternities are hazardous not only to members, but also to the large number of underage college or high school guests who regularly attend fraternity parties. Breaking up these parties and identifying the responsible adult can be particularly difficult for police.37

Excessive drinking is common at special events such as graduation, pre- or post-semester parties, and spring break. Credit: David Corbett

Bars and restaurants. Older underage drinkers are more likely to drink in bars and restaurants.38 Their close proximity to campus and advertised drink promotions make these venues an attractive choice for off-campus underage drinking. Many colleges have out-of-state students, requiring doormen or bartenders to judge the authenticity of driver’s licenses with which they might not be familiar.

Special events. Many colleges and communities have special events that seem to encourage widespread, heavy drinking, such as homecoming, graduation, pre- or post-semester parties, Halloween, Mardi Gras, and athletic events. Partly due to the large number of people present, and the failure of event planners to create specific “over 21 only” areas, underage people may have little difficulty getting alcohol through third-party purchases and drinking it unnoticed. In some cases, supervising adults both expect and tolerate underage drinking.

Spring break is a college ritual associated with excessive drinking and other high-risk, extreme behavior. One study of students visiting a Florida beach community during spring break found that 75 percent of the males reported being intoxicated at least once per day, while 40 percent of females reported the same.39 More than 50 percent of the men and more than 40 percent of the women reported drinking until they got sick or until they passed out at least once during the weeklong period. Given that people usually vomit when their body’s blood alcohol content (BAC) reaches approximately 0.16, and lose consciousness at a BAC of approximately 0.30, it is clear that many students on spring break are drinking at unsafe levels.40

In addition, high school and college students often play any of hundreds of drinking games.
41

These games encourage heavy drinking, and the resulting inability to follow game rules leads to even more drinking.

Understanding Your Local Problem

The information provided above is only a generalized description of underage drinking. You must combine the basic facts with a more specific understanding of your local problem. Analyzing the local problem carefully will help you design a more effective response strategy. You will likely find that effective responses to combat underage drinking will also result in reductions in alcohol-related crime such as drunken driving, assault, property damage, and noise violations.

Asking the Right Questions

The following are some critical questions you should ask in analyzing your particular underage drinking problem, even if the answers are not always readily available. Your answers to these and other questions will help you choose the most appropriate set of responses later on. Because police may not know how much underage drinking occurs in a community, you should use multiple information sources, including police records, juvenile police officers or school resource officers, state and local alcohol beverage control (ABC) records, school faculty, parents and parent advocate groups, underage drinkers, underage nondrinkers, and observations of youth, alcohol outlets, and areas where underage people drink.

Further, it may be helpful for police to link with local colleges, universities, or researchers to design, test, and administer surveys for high school students, college students, and underage nonstudents.†

† Using survey questions similar to those in the most widely used instruments, such as the College Alcohol Survey or the Monitoring the Future study, will allow you to compare your jurisdiction’s trends with national trends. [Full text]

Offenders

What proportion of high school students drink alcohol?

What proportion of local college/university students are underage? What percentage of them drink? How often? How much?

What reasons do they give for drinking?

What are underage drinkers’ characteristics (e.g., age, occupation, gender, group affiliations)? What are underage nondrinkers’ characteristics? Are there any differences in their characteristics that suggest opportunities for intervention?

Which alcoholic beverages do high school students prefer? Which do college students prefer? Which do underage nonstudents prefer?

Do underage people know what proportion of their peers drink, and how much?

Do underage people believe they can obtain and drink alcohol without being denied or apprehended?

What negative consequences of drinking do underage people fear (e.g., embarrassment from being refused alcohol in stores, hindrance to work or schooling, illness, injury, arrest)?

Incidents

In what proportion of crimes and police service calls is underage drinking a significant contributing factor? (Note: Many police report forms do not capture this information in a way that permits computerized tabulation, so you may need to read a sample of reports to estimate this figure.) What, specifically, is the nature of the crimes and service calls? How, specifically, do you believe underage drinking has contributed to the incident?

How many alcohol-related deaths occur among those under 21 (e.g., car crash fatalities, drownings, suicides)?

How many underage drinking-related incidents result in an arrest?

How many citations, detentions, arrests, or other official interventions do police make for underage drinking? What proportion of all incidences of underage drinking do you estimate result in some official intervention?

Environment

What types of alcohol advertising are present in the community? Newspaper ads? Billboards? Radio commercials? Do major alcohol manufacturers or distributors sponsor any community events or athletic events? How much of this advertising and promotion do you believe particularly targets underage people?

Which local retailers, bars, and restaurants advertise large-volume price discounts, drink specials, or other promotions? Where are these advertisements placed?

What types of alcohol-free opportunities to socialize are available to high school students? To 18- to 20-year-olds? How are the events publicized? How many people attend? Which events are most popular? What reasons do young people give for not going?

Alcohol Sources†

† The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation has produced a monograph on conducting alcohol purchase surveys. It is available on the Internet at www.udetc.org/documents/purchase.pdf [PDF].

Do underage youth obtain alcohol through parents, older siblings, or other relatives?

Do underage youth ask strangers to buy alcohol for them? Where do these transactions occur? Is a fee provided? What are the characteristics of the strangers who agree to make the purchase? Of those who refuse?

Which fraternity and sorority houses and private residences have reputations as “party houses?”

Which licensed establishments have a reputation for not checking ID, or for accepting fake IDs? Are individual clerks, door staff, or managers part of the problem?

Are there relationships between the staff and the customers (e.g., they know each other from campus) that make service denial difficult?

Is it more likely for underage people to obtain alcohol because they showed a fake ID, or because the vendor did not ask for ID?

How many fake ID cards get confiscated? Who confiscates them (e.g., police, licensed- establishment employees, school officials)? How have the IDs been altered or falsified? Where and how do the drinkers obtain them ?

Times/Locations

How often do underage drinkers drink? How much do they drink?

When do underage drinkers typically drink (e.g., time of day, day of week)?

How many underage parties at private residences come to police attention? How do the police find out about them?

How many youth attend the parties? How do they learn about them? Do they have to pay a fee to get in? Are adults of legal age responsible for the parties?

Are particular neighborhoods or residences known for underage parties? Are there outdoor venues (e.g., parks, beaches, fields) popular among underage drinkers?

What type of alcohol is typically served at parties? Is food served? Are nonalcoholic beverages available?

What are local college and university policies regarding alcohol sales and consumption on campus? How involved are the Greek organizations in the drinking environment? What are their policies and practices regarding the availability of alcohol at their parties?

How many retail outlets and bars are there in the community? Do certain areas have high concentrations of retail outlets or bars?

Special Events

At which community events does alcohol play a role in advertising or in event participation? Athletic events? What deterrents to underage drinking are in place at these events? How do underage drinkers circumvent these controls to get access?

Is your community a popular spring break destination? What are the typical spring break activities for students there? What types of problems do you encounter during that time?

Do underage drinkers participate in drinking games? If so, which games are popular? What types of problems occur at parties or events where people play drinking games?

Current Responses

What is your jurisdiction currently doing to address underage drinking? Is there evidence that any activities are particularly effective? What is not working, and why?

Which agencies are involved with this issue? Are there other agencies, organizations, groups, or individuals who need to play a role?

What legal sanctions are there for underage drinking? What sanctions are actually imposed?

Are there other administrative sanctions that apply to certain groups of underage drinkers (e.g., suspensions or demerits for students)? What sanctions are typically applied?

Are there any informal social sanctions applied to certain groups of underage drinkers (e.g., being grounded by parents, being benched by athletic coaches, being fired by employers)?

Measuring Your Effectiveness

Measurement allows you to determine to what degree your efforts have succeeded, and suggests how you might modify your responses if they are not producing the intended results. You should take measures of underage drinking before you implement responses, to determine how serious the problem is, and after you implement them, to determine whether they have been effective. All measures should be taken in both the target area and the surrounding area. (For more detailed guidance on measuring effectiveness, see the companion guide to this series, Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory Guide for Police Problem-Solvers.)

The following are potentially useful measures of the effectiveness of responses to underage drinking:

reductions in the proportion of underage high school and college students who report drinking;

reductions in the number of citations given to minors for possession, underage purchase, etc. (assuming a constant enforcement level);

reductions in the number of retailers cited for selling alcohol to minors (assuming a constant enforcement level);

reductions in the number of citations given for third-party alcohol purchases (assuming a constant enforcement level);

reductions in the number of underage drinking parties requiring police response;

reductions in the number of complaints received about underage drinking parties;

reductions in the number of students who report having to tolerate secondhand effects of their peers’ drinking;

reductions in the number of alcohol-related injuries and deaths occurring to, or caused by, minors (e.g., suicides, traffic injuries and fatalities).

Responses to the Problem of Underage Drinking

Your analysis of your local problem should give you a
better understanding of the factors contributing to it.
Once you have analyzed your local problem and
established a baseline for measuring effectiveness, you
should consider possible responses to address the
problem.

The following response strategies provide a foundation of ideas for addressing your particular problem. These strategies are drawn from a variety of research studies and police reports. Several of these strategies may apply to your communitys problem. It is critical that you tailor responses to local circumstances, and that you can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem. Do not limit yourself to considering what police can do: carefully consider whether others in your community share responsibility for the problem and can help police better respond to it.

General Considerations for an Effective Response Strategy

Reducing the community’s overall alcohol
consumption. Any efforts to reduce a community’s
overall drinking have the potential to reduce underage
drinking as well. Changing the norms about alcohol’s role
in the community can affect young people as well as those
legal to drink. Specific responses could include
discouraging price discounts on alcohol, restricting the
hours or days retailers can sell alcohol, or limiting the
number of community alcohol outlets.

Creating community coalitions. Many groups have a
vested interest in the problem of underage drinking.
However, conflicting personal, political, and business
interests can make cooperative community efforts difficult
to implement and even harder to sustain.42 The most
successful efforts to combat underage drinking have
included a broad range of stakeholders who can lend their
specific expertise to the issue, and whose involvement can
help to reduce any resistance to the effort. Potential
partners include the following:

state, local, and campus police agencies;

county prosecutor’s and city attorney’s offices;

state and local elected officials;

local high schools, colleges, and universities;

parent organizations such as the Parent-Teacher
Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving;

student organizations such as the student council,
athletics associations, Students Against Drunk Driving,
and Interfraternity Council;

community recreation programs and athletic programs;

community and neighborhood programs such as Crime
Watch and Neighborhood Watch;

alcohol licensing bureaus and ABC boards;

local bars and restaurants, and alcohol wholesalers and
distributors;

local retailers and distribution centers; and
media advocacy groups.

Using a multifaceted, comprehensive approach. A
multifaceted, comprehensive approach is more effective
than one that focuses on only one or two aspects of
underage drinking. For example, responses targeting only
the commercial availability of alcohol to minors could
displace the problem to residential neighborhoods, in the
form of house parties. A comprehensive approach should
address the motivations for underage drinking, the specific
harms associated with underage drinking (e.g., drunken
driving), the commercial and social availability of alcohol,
the use of fake IDs, and the community’s norms regarding
alcohol. It is vital to look broadly at the environment that
supports the problem behavior.† Programs targeting the
college environments in which drinking occurs have been
shown to reduce the level of students’ alcohol
consumption, as well as the problems experienced by
drinkers and those around them.43

Understanding your state’s laws regarding
underage drinking. All U.S. states have laws governing
minors’ purchase and possession of alcohol. However, the
specifics of the laws vary widely, and their usefulness in
constructing responses can be limited by unusual wording
or loopholes.
44 When considering responses that alter
penalties or apply new sections of law to the problem, it is
vitally important to consult with your jurisdiction’s
prosecutor to ensure the law’s interpretation supports your
intentions.††

†
See DeJong and Langford (2002)
for a useful table of strategies that
illustrate the importance of
approaching the problem from
various levels and focusing on the
environment that sustains the
behavior.

††You can find a description of
each state’s statutes at
http://www.nllea.org/reports/ABC
EnforcementLegalResearch.pdf.

Avoiding overwhelming the court system. Stepping
up enforcement efforts nearly always results in an increase
in court cases. If the system is not prepared to handle the
increase, and offenders are not quickly sanctioned, the
response’s effectiveness may be undermined. For this
reason alone, it is often worthwhile to develop responses
that do not rely on the application of criminal penalties.
Some jurisdictions have anticipated this issue and have
included court representatives in the project-planning
phase, to get their cooperation in handling the increased
number of cases,45 or have enlisted them as partners to
create alternative sanctions for offenders, such as
community service-based diversion programs.
46

Specific Responses to Underage Drinking

Responses That Target the Motivation to Drink

Implementing a "social norms" program. Some
interventions use a harm-reduction approach. In other
words, they attempt to reduce how much or how often
young people drink, rather than try to prevent underage
drinking altogether, which some see as unrealistic,
particularly among college students. Given that many youth drink because
they think "everyone
else is doing it," providing accurate information on the
typical amount of alcohol consumed and the proportion
of peers who drink heavily (both of which are lower than
most young people estimate) may reduce overall
consumption levels among college students.
47 Essential
steps include identifying students’ primary source of
information (e.g., the campus newspaper), placing notices
that provide accurate statistics regarding alcohol use, and
providing students with incentives to process and retain
the information. Social norms researchers recommend
keeping the message simple, straightforward, and
consistent, and stressing the norm of moderation.
48
Anticipate some opposition to an approach that could be
perceived as condoning some level of underage drinking.†

Many universities have developed a wide variety of visual
aids to correct students’ misperceptions of typical
drinking behavior among their peers.
Source: University of Arizona Social Norms Media
Campaign, see http://www.socialnorm.org/

†While there is research to
substantiate the effectiveness of
social norms marketing programs,
other studies cast doubt on their
effectiveness. For example, Wechsler
et al (2003), compared student
drinking patterns at colleges that
employed social-norms marketing
programs and those that did not.
Over a three year period, no
decreases in various measures of
alcohol use were evident at schools
with social norms marketing
programs. In fact, increases in
monthly alcohol use and in total
volume consumed were observed at
some schools.

Raising underage drinkers’ awareness of their
behavior’s impact on other people. Informing underage
drinkers that their drinking adversely affects their peers,
and that their peers are no longer willing to tolerate it, can
encourage young people to reduce their alcohol use.
49
These campaigns should take care not to reinforce an
institution’s reputation as a "party school" or encourage
the ostracism of nondrinkers.
50
They should direct those
interested to further resources and information.

Providing treatment or feedback. Cognitivebehavioral
approaches and skills-based training have
proved effective strategies in reducing high-risk drinking
among young people.
51
These interventions require
drinkers to monitor their alcohol use and any alcohol related
problems. They also teach important skills such as
drink refusal and drink pacing to reduce the harms
associated with underage drinking. In addition,
motivational techniques† that provide nonjudgmental
feedback to young people based on their own assessment
of their drinking patterns have had some success in
reducing drinking and its negative consequences.
52

Responses That Target Commercial Access to Alcohol

Improving the ability to detect fake IDs. Using fake
IDs to obtain alcohol from retailers or at bars and
restaurants is widespread, in part because of the relative
ease in altering, forging, or counterfeiting these
documents. In addition, underage drinkers often present
merchants, bartenders, and door staff with out-of-state
IDs with which they are not familiar, making it difficult to
detect minor alterations. ID guides can help in detecting
the more egregious falsifications.†† Training programs are
also available to help in identifying more subtle forms of
falsification, such as picture replacement, date adjustments,
computer-generated duplicates, and mismatches between
the person’s appearance and the ID photograph.
53

ID guides can help doormen to identify documents that have been
falsified.Credit: David Corbett

Many states have changed their driver’s licenses and ID
cards to make them more tamper-resistant. For example,
some states use a profile photograph of minors to clearly
indicate that they are under 21. Others boldly print
"Under 21 Until…" on the face of ID cards. Holograms
or indicators that can be seen only under an ultraviolet
light can also deter counterfeiting. Using scanners to read
barcodes and magnetic strips can also help in detecting
altered ID cards.
54
While this response must be enacted at
the state level, it can provide a powerful tool for reducing
fake-ID use.

When citing someone for using a fake ID, you should ask
about the source of the document so that you can tailor
your responses to unique problems or emerging trends.
For example, one jurisdiction confiscated a number of
fake IDs procured through the Internet. By copyrighting
the state’s driver’s license, the jurisdiction could use
copyright-violation laws to close down counterfeiting
Internet sites.
55

†See Walters (2000) for sample
feedback forms.

†† Several companies publish
reference books of each state’s ID
cards. For example, see
http://www.idcheckingguide.com/

Implementing "Responsible Beverage Service and
Sales Training" programs. The primary lines of defense
against commercial access to alcohol by underage youth
are the sales clerks, waiters and waitresses, and bartenders
who directly interact with them. Business owners and
managers should set clear policies for their employees
regarding checking ID and denying service to underage
customers. Without this support, changes in server or
seller behavior are unlikely.
Many states’ ABC boards provide free responsible-
beverage- service-and-sales training to licensed
establishments. Some states require such training for
licensing, and others provide specific incentives for
businesses that participate voluntarily. These programs
inform participants about state and local ordinances
concerning alcohol sales to minors, and about penalties for
breaking the law. Further, they help owners and managers
to develop establishment-level policies and practices to
help employees carry out their legal obligations. Essential
elements of effective service and sales policies include:
56

establishing 21 as the minimum age for everyone who
serves or sells alcohol,

ensuring that staff know their legal responsibilities

regarding underage sales,

ensuring that staff know the establishment’s policies
and the consequences for violating them,
requiring ID from all customers who appear to be
under 30,

developing specific guidelines and providing training on
valid forms of ID, and

how to identify a fake ID, how to confiscate it, and
what to do with it once confiscated;

how to determine whether an adult is buying alcohol
for someone underage, and how to refuse service;

how to resist pressure to serve or sell alcohol to an
underage customer; and

how to refuse service without creating a tense situation.

Businesses should inform customers about their
participation in such programs, both to encourage
community support for responsible business practices and
to deter underage youth from trying to buy alcohol or gain
entry.

Enforcing minimum-age purchase laws. The
primary means to enforce minimum-age purchase laws is
to conduct compliance checks of businesses that sell
alcohol for use either on or off premises. Compliance
checks use underage volunteers who try to gain entry and
alcohol service at bars or restaurants, or buy alcohol at
stores. The volunteer is directed to be truthful about his
or her age, if asked, and to present legitimate ID. If the
volunteer is able to buy alcohol, the server and manager
are cited for violating the minimum-age purchase law. In
some jurisdictions, if a clerk or bartender appropriately
denies service to an underage volunteer, the alcohol board
notifies the business owner and encourages the owner to
congratulate and reward the employee for obeying the
law.
58
There are a number of important considerations and
decisions to be made when designing a compliance
investigation:†

selecting underage volunteers who clearly look
underage, and whose diverse characteristics may help to
avoid bias or other factors that may influence sales
rates;

training volunteers on how to make a purchase: how to
act, what to say, and how to respond to questions;

selecting location, time of day, and frequency of
operations;

choosing the type and amount of alcohol to buy; and

addressing a variety of operational issues, such as
deploying officers, issuing citations, recording or
observing transactions, keeping records, and working
with the media.

Given that the overall goal is to reduce alcohol sales to
minors, and not to issue a high volume of citations, it is
important to give retailers, bars, and restaurants notice that
random and ongoing compliance checks will be
conducted.
59
Such notice, and prior consultation with local
prosecutors, can also help to prevent entrapment claims.

Some jurisdictions supplement compliance investigations
with "Cops-in-Shops" operations that station a police
officer in an establishment, as either a customer or an
employee, to apprehend underage people trying to buy
alcohol. Establishments cooperating in these operations
post a sign in the window notifying customers that a
police officer may pose as an employee, and advising them
of the penalties for underage purchases. While this
enforcement strategy has not been rigorously evaluated,
case studies suggest that "Cops-in-Shops" programs can
effectively supplement compliance checks, although they
should not substitute for them.
60
One of the main benefits
of these operations is on-the-job training on identifying
fake IDs and detecting typical physical and behavioral
characteristics of minors–and of adults buying alcohol for
them.
61

Conducting undercover "shoulder tap" operations.
One of the main ways that young people obtain alcohol
from commercial sources is to ask strangers to buy it for
them. In "shoulder tap" operations, an undercover
operative approaches an adult outside a store and asks the
adult to buy him or her alcohol. If the adult agrees and
does so, he or she is cited for furnishing alcohol to
someone underage. As with all undercover operations,
decisions about the characteristics of the volunteers used,
the scripts delivered, the types of establishments and
potential buyers targeted, the time of day, and other
concerns are paramount to the effectiveness of the
response. Very few of these operations have been
evaluated, but case studies suggest that highly publicized
operations that generate a large number of citations are
likely to have a deterrent effect and reduce the amount of
alcohol minors obtain through third parties.
62

Checking ID at bars and nightclubs. In this
response, either plainclothes or uniformed officers enter
an "on-premise" establishment and check the IDs of
everyone drinking alcohol. They cite those with no or
fraudulent ID, and the establishment may face
administrative consequences. These ID checks encourage
doormen and bartenders to be diligent in their efforts to
verify customer age, and they show customers that the
police support the establishment’s policies and procedures.

Applying graduated sanctions to retailers that break the law.
There are three types of penalties imposed
in response to violations of minimum-age purchase laws:
63

Administrative: These penalties involve restrictions,
suspensions, or revocations of business licenses if
retailers do not follow state and local standards of
conduct.

Criminal: These penalties apply to the person who sells
alcohol to a minor. They may include fines, probation,
or imprisonment, and they may be noted on a criminal
record.

Civil: These penalties are commonly called "dramshop
liability," and refer to lawsuits for monetary damages
for any harm caused by minors served alcohol by
retailers.

Penalties are most effective when believed to be both swift
and certain. The likelihood of sanctions is more important
than the severity of sanctions in encouraging compliance.
64
Given the complexity and often excessive severity of
criminal charges, most states have found that
administrative penalties are the most effective. Further,
administrative penalties hold the establishment’s owner
responsible and significantly affect profitability, which
encourages owners to ensure that all employees follow the
law. The threat of civil liability has been shown to increase
the consistency with which ID is checked, and to be
related to decreases in negative alcohol-related
consequences.
65
One incentive for retailers to comply with
the various provisions of responsible-beverage-serviceand-
sales programs is to shield them from dramshop
liability if they can demonstrate that they followed all
applicable policies and practices.

Responses That Target Social Access to Alcohol

Many states use keg registration to link information about those who
purchase a keg to the keg itself. Buyers are required to complete a form at
the time of purchase. The keg is marked with a permanent sticker or tag.Source: Georgia Department of Revenue

Training adults about "social host liability." Social
host liability refers to the imposition of civil penalties
against adults who provide alcohol to minors for injuries
caused by those minors. Approximately 30 states have
some form of social-host-liability law,
66
but education and
awareness programs must be in place to make them
effective.
67
At a minimum, education efforts should stress
that it is unacceptable for adults to furnish minors with
alcohol, and should increase awareness of relevant laws,
penalties, and enforcement initiatives. This type of training
has proved particularly effective with Greek organizations
on college campuses, some of which have radically altered
their practices regarding large house parties.

Requiring keg registration.
Police have noted that it
is often difficult to identify the adult responsible for
providing alcohol to minors at large house parties,
particularly keg parties on college campuses. Keg
registration links buyer information to the keg itself,
through tags, stickers, or ID numbers stenciled on the keg.
At the retail outlet, the buyer must provide ID and contact
information, and may also be required to sign a statement
indicating awareness that it is illegal to furnish alcohol to
minors. When police seize a keg of beer at a party where
underage drinking is occurring, the person responsible for
furnishing the alcohol can be easily identified through the
retailer. This response is relatively low-cost. However, a
number of jurisdictions have noted that retailers can
exploit voluntary keg registration by advertising their
refusal to participate (e.g., "We don’t use keg tracking").
68
Thus, it may be sensible to make keg registration
mandatory.

Responses That Target Locations Where Drinking Occurs

Developing house party guidelines, registration
forms, and pre-party walk-through procedures.
Offering guidance on how to host a safe party at which
minors cannot access alcohol can reduce underage
drinking and the number of complaints received from
neighbors bothered by noise, traffic, and other party byproducts.
A number of police departments and college
student organizations have developed guidelines for safe
parties. These guidelines offer pre-party preparation and
hosting tips, such as the following:
69

Inform neighbors about the party and ask them to
contact the host first if they have any concerns or
problems, rather than automatically calling the police.

Take frequent walks around the outside of the house
and property to assess noise levels.

Do not permit underage guests to drink.

Ensure that people who have been drinking do not
drive.

If the police do show up, turn off the music, stop the
party, and talk calmly with the officers.

Other jurisdictions use voluntary party registration forms
and pre-party site visits by police to offer prevention tips
to parents or property owners. Guides have been
developed to help high school students’ parents in
planning parties at their homes. Typical guidelines include
the following:
70

Limit the number of people invited, and the number of
people allowed on the property.

Have sufficient chaperones to monitor the property and
the guests for any problems.

Be prepared the call an underage guest’s parents if he
or she appears to be under the influence of drugs or
alcohol.

Set a beginning and ending time for the party.
It is important to remind party hosts that pre-party police
advice is not foolproof, and that controlling the party and
access to alcohol is their responsibility.

Well-publicized hotlines can be a valuable source
of information about party locations. Source:
Texas Alcohol Beverage Commision
http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/enforce/hotline.htm

Setting up hotlines to gather information. Hotlines
for students, teachers, or parents concerned about
underage drinking can be a valuable information source.
People use a hotline to report a party location either
before or during the event. Patrol officers then drive by
the location to identify any problems. Providing an easyto-
remember phone number, ensuring caller anonymity,
and staffing the hotline with nonpolice personnel increase
the likelihood people will call.

Deploying party patrols. Teams of police officers
dedicated to identifying and dispersing parties where
underage drinking is occurring not only serve as a
deterrent to such events, but also can reduce the number
of youth who drive after drinking. Police identify party
locations through hotline reports, complaints received
from neighbors, keg registrations, or routine patrol.† Once
police establish probable cause and secure the perimeter of
the location, they enter it;†† contact the host; identify those
age 21 and over and those under 21 who have not been
drinking, and release them; and process those under 21
who have been drinking. They also cite the adult(s)
responsible for furnishing the alcohol. Arranging safe
transportation for those who have been drinking is vitally
important. There are a number of detailed implementation
guides available.†††

†The San Diego Police
Department uses its College Area
Party Plan to identify locations that
have been the subject of repeated
violations and complaints. Once a
property has been identified as a
CAPP property, a zero tolerance
policy is enacted for all future
complaints: no warnings are given,
and proactive arrests are made. The
Silver Gate Group (2001).

††You should consult legal counsel if
you are uncertain about police
authority in your jurisdiction to
enter house parties without a
warrant.

†††
See Morrison and Didone (2000)
and Casady (2002), accessible at
www.ci.lincoln.ne.us/city/police/pdf
/nuparty.pdf.

Imposing fines for each underage person drinking
at a party. Large monetary penalties for providing alcohol
to minors can be an effective deterrent to groups and
organizations that regularly host parties where underage
drinking occurs (e.g., fraternities and sororities). Issuing a
summons to the responsible adult for each underage guest
found drinking at a party can be financially devastating.
One jurisdiction issued 70 summonses at one event,
resulting in a fine of over $20,000 to the host.
71
The
financial liability from large parties where alcohol
distribution is not controlled has caused a number of
national Greek organizations to require that their
properties and social functions be alcohol-free.
72
When
fine amounts are modest, party hosts may conclude that
they are a small cost compared with the revenue they get
from charging admission.

Using landlord-tenant ordinances and nuisance
abatement procedures. When police receive numerous
complaints about parties from neighbors, and respond to a
location multiple times and find underage drinking, they
may have additional leverage through landlord-tenant
ordinances and nuisance abatement procedures.
73
If the
party host rents the property, the landlord can be brought
in to help resolve the problem. Upon the first citation for
providing alcohol to minors, the landlord is issued a
warning. Subsequent citations lead to requirements for
corrective action plans, and ultimately, eviction if the
problem continues. Similarly, some jurisdictions have used
nuisance abatement procedures to combat problems often
associated with house parties, such as illegal alcohol sales,
excessive noise, and property damage.
74
It is vitally
important to document all contacts with tenants and
owners to establish a record of noncompliance.

Restricting alcohol use at popular outdoor venues
and community events. Restricting drinking in public
places can reduce excessive drinking and sales to minors.
75
One way to control the flow of alcohol at public venues is
to issue conditional-use permits that set standards for how
and when alcohol can be sold, served, or consumed. These
permits can restrict drinking to certain "21 and over"
areas, restrict the hours of sale, and limit advertising.

Sponsoring alcohol-free events. High school and
college students often complain that "there’s nothing to
do" in their communities, and often have few
opportunities to socialize outside of school. This may
increase drinking’s appeal. Coalition- or school-sponsored
alcohol-free events can increase the array of social
alternatives for youth and can substitute for events and
traditions centered on excessive drinking (e.g., after-prom
parties, tailgating before athletic events, spring break).
76
The events schedule should be focused on the most
problematic times of the day, days of the week, and
locations.
77
For example, late-night weekend activities such
as movies or karaoke can be planned for residence halls
where underage drinking has been a persistent problem.

Developing campus policies to deter underage
drinking. Given that college campuses are popular
settings for underage drinking, it is vital that schoolspecific
strategies be enacted in jurisdictions that include
colleges and universities. These could include clarifying
campus alcohol policies, creating substance-free housing
and dormitories, adjusting class and exam schedules to
deter Thursday-night drinking, and using campus
disciplinary procedures to emphasize the school’s
intolerance for alcohol violations.
78
, †

† See Fisher (1999) and National
Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (2002) for detailed
response guides for college
campuses.

Responses That Focus on the Consequences of Underage
Drinking

Applying administrative sanctions rather than
criminal penalties. Criminal penalties are meant to serve
as a deterrent. However, severe criminal penalties for
underage drinking-related offenses (e.g., possession,
attempted purchase, use of fake ID) are seldom enforced
and have not proved a big deterrent.
79
In part, the lack of
widespread, consistent enforcement is due to the burden
on prosecutor and court resources, and a reluctance to
enforce stiff penalties for what is perceived as a minor
offense. Criminal sanctions are often neither swift nor
certain, which undermines their deterrent effect. In
contrast, less severe penalties (e.g., fines, community
service) are more likely to be enforced and may be a
greater deterrent.
80
Suspension of a minor’s driver’s license in response to an
alcohol violation–whether or not the offense involved a
vehicle–is the penalty for breaking use/lose laws. For
youths not yet licensed to drive, use/lose laws generally
delay the issuance of a driver’s license for a specified
amount of time. These laws have been linked to a
reduction in vehicle-related alcohol problems,
81
but raise
constitutional concerns.
82
Use/lose laws have been
extended to cover the use of a fake ID. Many states have
recently increased the penalties for using a fake ID, and
have publicized these changes to ensure that young people
are aware of the consequences for doing so.† Keep in
mind that extending driver’s licensing sanctions to
nondriving offenses almost certainly will increase offenses
such as driving with a suspended or revoked license and
eluding a police officer.

†For example, Virginia's ABC
board created a pamphlet, available
at http://www.abc.state.va.us/Educatio
n/fakeid/FakeID.pdf.

Applying informal social control. While there have
been no evaluations of informal social control's impact on
underage drinking, we know that young people are often
more powerfully influenced by teachers, coaches, mentors,
peers, and parents than they are by the threat of formal
sanctions. Enlisting the help of responsible adults who
have relationships with young people not only can prevent
expensive criminal justice sanctions that often take some
time to be imposed, but also sends a powerful message
about the community's intolerance for underage drinking.
For example, when police cite high school or college
athletes for underage drinking, notifying their coaches of
the infractions can lead to creative consequences that hold
the offenders accountable but do not saddle them with a
criminal record. Similarly, parents and schools revoke
privileges (e.g., driving, participating in social events) or
impose disciplinary sanctions in response to citations for
underage drinking. Military commanders may discipline
underage soldiers who come into contact with police.
Police may find opportunities to support these forms of
informal social control.

Responses with Limited Effectiveness

Using school-based education, awareness, or
values-clarification programs. Student orientation,
alcohol awareness weeks, and curriculum infusion are
typical interventions found on high school and college
campuses. The assumption guiding these efforts is that
people make wiser choices if they know the facts about
alcohol. Although this may be true, information alone is
usually insufficient to change behavior.
83 Evaluations of
these stand-alone programs have found no effect on
alcohol use or alcohol-related consequences.
84

Launching consequence-focused information
campaigns. Focusing solely on the negative consequences
of underage drinking is unlikely to affect young people's
alcohol use.
85
Not only is drinking likely to be entrenched
in community and peer group norms, but also young
people tend to be risk-takers and to deny their
vulnerability to both short- and long-term consequences.
Most importantly, consequence-focused campaigns rarely
address the motivations for underage drinking–nor do they
offer realistic or practical alternatives.

Summary of Responses to Underage Drinking

The table below summarizes the responses to underage drinking, the mechanism by which they are intended to work, the conditions under which they ought to work best, and some factors you should consider before implementing a particular response. It is critical that you tailor responses to local circumstances, and that you can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem.

Assumes that knowing about the negative consequences will deter dangerous or illegal behavior

Information often stands in stark contrast to young people’s experience and thus has little credibility; young people tend to deny their own vulnerability; it does not address the motivations for drinking

Keeling, R. (2002). “Binge Drinking and the College Environment.” Journal of American College Health 50:197–201.

Kuo, M., H. Wechsler, P. Greenberg, and H. Lee (2003). “The Marketing of Alcohol to College Students: The Role of Low Prices and Special Promotions.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine 25(3):204–211. [Full text]

Larimer, M., and J. Cronce (2002). “Identification, Prevention, and Treatment: A Review of Individual-Focused Strategies to Reduce Problematic Alcohol Consumption by College Students.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol (Supp. 14):148–163.

Michigan State University , Department of Police and Public Safety (1998). “ Underage Drinking.” Submission for the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. [Full text]

National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Task Force on College Drinking (2002). A Call To Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges. Bethesda, Md.: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. [Full text]

Perkins, H., and A. Berkowitz (1986). “Perceiving the Community Norms of Alcohol Use Among Students: Some Research Implications for Campus Alcohol Education Programming.” International Journal of the Addictions 21:961–976.

University of Alaska, Fairbanks (2000). “ Wasting Away in Margaritaville: From Animal House to Healthy Choices.” Submission for the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. [Full text]

Wagenaar, A. (1993). “Minimum Drinking Age and Alcohol Availability to Youth: Issues and Research Needs.” In M. Hilton and G. Bloss (eds.), Economics and the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems. Bethesda, Md.: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Wechsler, H., J. Lee, M. Kuo, M. Seibring, T. Nelson, and H. Lee (2002). “Trends in College Binge Drinking During a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts: Findings From Four Harvard School of Public Health Study Surveys, 1993–2001.” Journal of American College Health 50(5):203–217.

Wechsler, H., and T. Nelson (2001). “Binge Drinking and the American College Student: What’s Five Drinks?” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 15:287–291.

Weitzman, E., A. Folkman, K. Folkman, and H. Wechsler (2003). “The Relationship of Alcohol Outlet Density to Heavy and Frequent Drinking and Drinking-Related Problems Among College Students at Eight Universities.” Health and Place 9:1–6.

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